


Space to Grieve

by Mor_Elenar



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27055756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mor_Elenar/pseuds/Mor_Elenar
Summary: With the fate of the world decided and the aftermath finally squared away, Jaune finally has a chance to get some much needed closure and tie up some loose ends
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos
Kudos: 3





	Space to Grieve

"You can do it," Weiss assured him as she handed him the scroll. It was already ringing as she put it in his hand. He held it up to his ear, unsure if he wanted someone on the other end to pick up or not. After a few rings, the call connected.

"Hello?" answered a mellowed female voice.

"Um…hi, uh Mi…Mrs. Nikos?" Jaune stammered.

"Yes?"

"This is Jaune Arc, I was…your daughter's...I was Pyrrha's team captain at Beacon." He began to shake and looked to Weiss and Ruby with desperation in his eyes. Ruby gave him a thumbs up while Weiss locked eyes with him and nodded, assuring him that everything was going to be fine.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before she responded. "Yes, she told me a great deal about you," she finally said. "What can I do for you?"

"I...was going to be in Argus next week. I'm visiting my sister who lives there, and I was wondering if it would be alright if I stopped by your house for a visit." He'd calmed down enough he was able to string sentences together without stuttering. "My sister works during the day, so any time in the morning or early afternoon would be ideal for me, but if that doesn't fit your schedule, I can set an evening aside."

"Well, I don't work, and my husband is off Fridays if you'd like to stop by then. You can come around 10:00 and we can visit and have lunch?"

"That sounds perfect. Next Friday at 10:00. I'll be there. Thank you, Mrs. Nikos."

"No, thank you. I look forward to seeing you."

He said goodbye and pushed the button to deactivate the call. He sighed. "Well, I guess there's no turning back now."

"We promise, she'll be glad you reached out," Ruby said. "It'll mean a lot to her that her former team captain stopped by."

"I don't know what to say," Jaune shook his head. "I feel like I owe her an apology more than anything else, but…what if they don't forgive me?" His shoulder sagged as fear and nervousness crept into him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss folded her arms. "You don't need their forgiveness. I know it's going to be awkward but trust us: you'll both feel like you have some closure after this."

"I guess I'll find out next week," he said as he typed the appointment into his scroll calendar so he wouldn't forget the time.

He both anticipated and dreaded it at the same time.

* * *

Jaune didn't know what he was expecting as he stepped off the trolley but something about the Nikos house seemed almost too cozy for Pyrrha's family. He always had this mental picture of her being raised in some marble colonnaded palace with sprawling lawns and fountains. Instead, their house was exactly like his sisters: a tall narrow artifice with no front yard and less than an arm's reach away from the houses on either side. With his shield on his back and his guitar case in his hand, he ascended the steep steps up to the porch and knocked on the door.

A kind looking middle aged woman answered and smiled at him weakly. Jaune had seen pictures of Pyrrha's parents in their dorm back at Beacon but seeing her in person made it painfully obvious that the huntress was a dead ringer of her mother. Fiery red hair, jade eyes, and a tall forehead were all unmistakable traits she'd inherited from her mother, though Mrs. Nikos' chin and jawline were less pronounced than her daughters, perhaps due to age or just facial structure. She invited him in and offered him a seat in their parlor.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Tea? Coffee?" she offered.

"Coffee sounds great. Two sugars, two creams," he forced a smile.

"I'll be right back," she smiled back warmly, turning his smile into a genuine grin. She returned to the main hallway and put a hand on the banister to call upstairs. "Honey, Pyrrha's teammate is here."

"Alright, I'm coming."

The missus disappeared around the corner as her father came down the stairs. He was a sandy blond headed man with creases on his forehead and laugh lines. He had a naturally wiry looking frame, but despite his age, his forearms were still sinewy and muscular. Jaune stood to shake his hand.

"Peleus Nikos," he gave a firm aggressive shake.

"Jaune Arc, it's a pleasure."

"Please, sit," he gestured for Jaune to reclaim his seat as he removed the decorative pillows from the couch to make room for himself.

"Cleo, do you mind pouring me a cup as well?" he called to his wife.

"Sure thing, hon!"

Moments later, she returned with both cups, setting them both down before returning with her own cup and sitting beside her husband.

For a brief moment, there was a awkward silence as Jaune tried to collect his thoughts. He straightened his posture, was careful to drink without slurping and was careful to put his mug on the coaster that was in front of him on the coffee table. He wanted to make a good impression.

"How is your visit with your sister going?" Mrs. Nikos asked to break the ice.

"Oh, she's doing fine," Jaune replied. "She has a little boy, he just turned three and he's into everything. I can barely keep up with him. I'm shocked something that small can move that fast."

Mrs. Nikos laughed softly. "Little ones always have so much energy, it's hard to imagine where they get it all. When Pyrrha was that age, she'd shoot out of bed every morning going at full speed and then she'd crash just as hard when it was nap."

"That girl," Peleus shook his head and laughed lightly. "She could sleep through fireworks. She was always giving 100% when she was awake, so when she slept, she shut down completely."

"It was probably good that she slept so hard," Jaune nodded. "Nora snored something awful." He took a deep breath. He couldn't put off the difficult conversation any longer. "I really appreciate you letting me come over. Firstly, though, I wanted to thank you for everything Pyrrha did for me. She poured so much time and effort and…love into making me a better person; I know I wouldn't be half the huntsman I am today if it weren't for her."

"From what she told us, you were worth every second of her time, Mr. Arc." Her father replied. "She mentioned other people, but she talked about you all the time. "The mind of a strategist, the heart of a hero and the coordination of a ferret." He half laughed at the memory. "She was very fond of you, you know."

"I know I didn't deserve any of the attention she gave me," he admitted. "But every kindness she showed me was a reflection of you as her parents, and as proud of her as you must have been, know that she wasn't just brilliant on the battlefield, she was good teacher and she really loved the people around her."

"Thank you," her mother said, her mouth smiling but her eyes still looking sad.

"I think however, that I own you an apology…for not coming to the funeral."

"Oh honey," Mrs. Nikos leaned across her husband and touched his arm. "We completely understand. Your parents deserved to know you were safe and you needed time to process everything. You didn't slight us at all."

"I should have made contact so much sooner, but we had a mission to complete, and…time just got away from us."

"We understand."

Jaune looked at his cup, taking a long drink of his coffee before sliding his entire hand into the mug handle and gripping it for courage. "There's something else I own you an apology for as well. When Pyrrha…when Pyrrha died, her spear and shield were found at the base of the Beacon tower, and they were given to me as her team captain, and I had every intention of returning them to you, but…" he stopped to blink back tears. "But I couldn't bring myself to do it. And later, when I had the opportunity, I had them incorporated into my own weaponry." He unslung his shield to show them. The outline of the gold and the gilding reminiscent of her style. "It was a way for me to have a piece of her wherever I went, but now I realize how selfish of me that was. I have nothing to bring you of your only daughter from where she went to school, and…and you deserve to have every piece of her that there is. So…" he laid the shield on the table. "I'd like for you to have my shield. I know it's not even hers, and it doesn't make up for how egregious it was, but as her family, I think you deserve it."

The tears that Cleo was holding back until now could no longer be contained. She gripped buried her head in her hands and began to weep. Her husband seemed to have a grip on his composure, but was also moved by her tears, blinking back a few of his own.

"It was hard to 'bury' her with nothing," he admitted. "No body, no armor, nothing. There was always this false hope that would keep springing up that maybe there was a mistake and she'd somehow survived. We knew it wasn't true, but something inside both of us." He reached behind him to fetch a box of tissues to offer his wife, placing a loving hand on her back.

"It was cruel of me to not send her things to you, and I can try blaming it on so many things: that I was a child, that I was grieving, that it was all I had left of her, but none of it is a valid excuse. All I can as for now is your forgiveness and let me make it up to you in some way."

In the past six months, he'd done so many difficult things, more than he'd ever dreamed before: but this by far was more emotionally taxing than anything he'd been through in his life. He was there, looking Salem in the eyes as Ruby used her power to turn the monster to stone; he'd testified at James Ironwood's court martial, condemning him to an Atlesean prison for at least ten years, he'd helped Weiss bury a sister, Ruby and Yang a father, and Sun the rest of his entire team. He even stood as the best man for Ren and Nora's wedding, which wasn't a sad event in itself, but a final nail in the coffin that was their team. They were settling down and starting a family and Jaune found himself lonelier than ever. None of them even compared with the guilt and sorrow he felt now.

For a moment, they sat in silence, just allowing each other to grieve. Jaune's eyes grew wetter and was embarrassed when Cleo offered him a tissue as well.

"She was our light," her father said, "She was our only child and everything about her was almost too good to be true. What you did may have been selfish, but if I know anything about my little girl, I do know if she thought using them would help you, she'd want you to have them. And I can't be angry at you knowing that."

"We have memories of Pyrrha surrounding us," her mother said, scooting the shield on the coffee table back towards him. "Keep your memory of her."

"Thank you. Your forgiveness means so much more than you know." Jaune squeezed his eyes shut. He was not going to cry any more in front of them.

"You said you had a favor to ask us?"

Jaune nodded. "I was curious if Pyrrha had a grave. I'd like…I'd like to visit it."

"We'd be happy to take you."

* * *

Though trolley was the major method of transportation in the inner city, it didn't run into the outer suburbs or to the cemetery. They took the Nikos' car, spending the time telling stories about Pyrrha both at home and at school over lunch at a nearby cafe. Jaune soaked in every detail, treasuring the thoughts of what she must have been like as a child and how much she accomplished in such a short life. At Jaune's request, they stopped and bought flowers. With the bouquet in one hand and his guitar in the other, he stood in front of the stone slab that contained a very brief epitaph:

"Loving daughter, huntress, and Heroine of Beacon"

"It hardly does her justice, just boiling down her entire life into one sentence," he commented as he placed the flowers in the holder. He stared for a moment, searching for more words to say.

"Her mother and I have a few other relatives we can visit." Peleus offered. "Why don't we give you some time alone?"

Jaune sat on the grass facing the headstone. He removed the guitar from it's case, placing the strap behind his back and making some fine tuning. He talked to Pyrrha as if she was there as he fine-tuned the strings; telling her that they'd finally taken Salem down, that the world was rid of its most violent threat, that Beacon had been reclaimed and how she would be so proud of everyone.

He told her about all the places they'd travelled to, from the woods of Mistral to Haven, to Argus to Atlas and even to some cities in Vacuo and even to the Dark Continent where there were no detailed maps. The natural beauty and the man-made feats he described to her with enthusiasm, even the statue in her honor at the center of town.

He told her where everyone had ended up and what they were doing now and how they'd all grown up to be true huntsmen and huntresses and he was even asked to come on as a guest lecturer at Shade Academy when he was available.

He told her all the details of Ren and Nora's wedding and how they'd even reserved a seat at the head table for her out of respect. He knew she'd be so happy for them.

He told her how much he'd grown and improved, about how he had unlocked semblance and how he'd used it to save thousands of lives and that she was the cause of all of it because of her lessons about managing his aura.

When he was finished fiddling around and warming up, he played his guitar for her, apologizing for never serenading her when he had the chance, and even sang a ballad he remembered she'd listen to when they were in the dorms.

Lastly, he asked her for permission to move on. There was someone he'd like to approach romantically, but only if he could get closure from her. He promised he'd never forget her, and that her love for him would never be without his undying gratitude. Once he was assured he'd said his piece, he put his guitar away and said goodbye. Not goodbye as in goodbye forever, just until he was able to come visit again.

Her parents returned a few moments later; Peleus asking for a brief moment with her as well. Jaune tried making idle chit-chat with Mrs. Nikos as they waited.

"It's so hard to believe she just got taken away so suddenly."

"There are still some times that I will see something; a dress, a spear, a cat and I will think to myself 'Pyrrha will love this,' and I'll take a picture of it to send to her. It always takes me a moment to remember she's not just gone at school, she's gone forever.

"I only knew her for a little over a year, and you had sixteen years with her. I won't lie, I'm envious. I wish so much I could have known her longer."

Cleo looked over her shoulder at her husband who was still standing silently in front of the gravesite, paying his respects as well. "Can I ask you a question, Jaune?"

"Anything."

"The woman who killed my daughter, the one who led the attack on Beacon, what happened to her?"

Jaune's face darkened, his lip hardening and curling into a scowl. "I cut her head off." He said flatly. "One of her minions turned on her and stabbed her in the back, and I wasn't going to waste the opportunity." He expected Cleo to recoil, to be taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor, to be even a little shocked by his bluntness, but she only furrowed her brow and nodded. "You did it to avenge Pyrrha?"

"She taunted and evaded us for two years, but when it came to the final battle, I insisted I face her, and I didn't hold back."

"Thank you." She said, gripping his hand. "She deserved justice. Thank you for giving that to her." The softness in her voice and face were gone, leaving a only a grim kind of satisfaction on her face. Pyrrha may have inherited many things from her mother, but definitely not her vindictiveness. She was much more akin to her father's magnanimous nature, though he could hardly criticize Mrs. Nikos: he wanted Cinder dead probably more than anyone else

Peleus finished up, and offered to let Cleo have a moment with her, but she declined. She was ready to go home. As they drove away, she could not stop the tears from coming again.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized to the men.

"It's all right, dear," her husband assured her, "You're not bothering us. We miss her, too."

"I miss her voice," Cleo sobbed. "I was always so good about taking pictures and keeping things like trophies and baby teeth, but for some reason, videos were just something I never did. I'd give anything to hear her voice again."

Jaune's face lit up. "Give me a moment." He whipped his scroll out and began flipping through his videos. He scrolled down until he got to the entire section he'd recorded of his training sessions with Pyrrha. He leaned between the front seats of the car and handed the scroll to her. "Start here, and all of these are videos of Pyrrha helping me better my form. A few are some goofy stuff our team did in the dorm, but all these," he scrolled with is finger, "are mostly her talking: being helpful, being encouraging."

She pressed the first play button. Mr. Nikos turned off the car radio as the video played. It was just an instructional video on footing so Jaune could always have it handy to practice, but seeing her again brought back waves of emotions for everyone in the car. She watched the next video and the next all in perfect silence. The videos that were her favorite, ironically were the ones Jaune had deemed 'goofy' particularly the video of Pyrrha being called as a witness to Nora's trial where she stood accused of eating over half the pancakes.

When they arrived back at the Nikos' residence, they stayed in the car in the garage and re-watched the entire string of videos again.

"Can you send us a copy of these?" her father asked.

"Of course," Jaune said as Mrs. Nikos returned his scroll. "Just give me your scroll number and I'll send them to you."

Mrs. Nikos found a napkin in the glove compartment and scribbled both her and her husband's numbers. He plugged them in and started sending over the queue of video clips for them.

It was getting dark, and he knew it was time to go.

"You're welcome to stay for dinner," Mrs. Nikos offered.

"Thank you, but it is late, and I have to catch the trolleys before they shut down for the evening." He said as he removed his guitar from the vehicle. They stood in the driveway to say their goodbyes and thank yous which were many and delayed as neither of them really wanted the day to be over. When the street lights came on, Jaune knew he couldn't delay it any longer.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality," he said sincerely. "Would it be alright if I called you every so often?" he asked.

Pyrrha's mother responded by throwing her arms around him. "I can see why Pyrrha fell in love with you." She squeezed him tightly. "Yes, you can call or visit whenever you'd like, Jaune."

When she finally released him, Jaune offered his hand to Mr. Nikos to shake one more time. Peleus took his hand but pulled him into a hug also. "Thank you so much for everything." He said. "If you ever need anything when you're in town, you can call us."

"You're too kind, sir," Jaune said.

After a final goodbye, Jaune descended the steps, his shield on his back and his guitar in his hand as he walked to the trolley stop. He waved at their house from the trolley as it passed by and to his surprise, both Mr. and Mrs. Nikos were waving back at him from the front window. When they were finally out of sight, he burst into tears, sobbing, burying his head in his hands and letting out all the emotions he'd bottled up throughout the day loose, not caring who sitting near him stared or scoffed. One kindly old woman offered him a pack of tissues which he gratefully accepted. He had gotten it all out of his system and had dried all his tears by the time the trolley stopped a block away from his sister's house.

"How did it go?" Saffron asked as he came in the front door. "Did you have a good visit?"

Jaune sighed and smiled. "Yeah…I'd say it went ok."


End file.
